Trouble light



Dec. 15, 1953 R. E. ZEDIKER TROUBLE LIGHT Filed Aug. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ralph E. Zed/Ire! INVENTOR.

Dec. 15, 1953 R. E. ZEDIKER 2,662,970

TROUBLE LIGHT Filed Aug. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3 l

/ Fig. 5

fax /8 Ralph E. Zediker.

40 M (Z JNVENTOR.

Q g BY 44 Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TROUBLE LIGHT Ralph E. Zediker, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 305,031

4 Claims. 1

'I'liis inven on re ates. o a trouble lisht and particularly to a holder for suppor in a sealed beam type headlight. lamp ior operation as a trouble lamp and a conductor connecting the lamp to a source oi supply in a motor vehicle,

In the. operat n of motor vehicles it is frequently desirable to have a high intensity trouble lamp While lookin for sources of failure, when. ch ngin ires or for other purposes. It frequently happens that the sealed beam type headlights become unusable because of the destruction of; oneor the other or the beams therein. While such lamps are of no use for their intended purposes they still produce a good strong light on the available beam. By connecting the perative beam of such light into. the automo tive electrical system of a vehicle such as .by connecting the same into a receptacle such as the ci arette lighter receptacle a convenient and usable trouble lamp can be produced at a low cost,

Th present invention provides a suitable construction for supporting such a lamp and for upplying en r y th ret The h lder of the p esent invention compr e a ndle havin a pa r of clampin members p rably nst ucted of materi l fo holding the mp wh le. he co d s co nected to a conn o dapted to be inser ed in the usual ci rette li hter receptacl It is accordingly an object of the invention to p v de an mprov r uble lamp,

It is a further object of the invention to provide a trouble. lam utilizing a eal d be m type headlam It s a u h obj ct oi th invention to provide a holder for conveniently supporting a sea ed eam type headlamp. I

t is a fur her ob ct of the invention to provice an impr v d con e t r for connecting into a cigarette l hter so ket.

Other b e ts d any of the. a tendant advantages of the invention will be apparent, from h follow n d tailed de cription taken in c n junction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a p rspe tive V ew of va, hold r vfor. supp tin a sea ed eam ype h a lamp; c 1

Fi ur 21s a bottomplan iowoith bolde r fi is a lo g ud nal section. thro sna connect r forsu p yine energy t th headlamp; Figur 4. isan end'vi w of the connector; 'E- eu o 5 s a deelevat on' p rtially in section oi lie ho de assembl d with aheadlam'p bulb to constitute a trouble l ght;- and. l s e.

E I h ulder member!!! anda'clamping ring isxars;

Figure 6 is a. section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line B- -6 of Figure 5 and showing the fastening of the clamp frames in the handle.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention a handle member I 0 is constructed of a longitudinal piece of insulating material preferably shaped to conveniently fit within the hand of an Operator and is provided with a. pair of longitudinally extending bores I2 and Ill. A headlight bulb 15 of the sealed beam type has the well known beam terminals connected together and connected to a supply conductor l8 while the ground terminal of the lamp I6 is comiected to a ground conductor 20. A pair of clamping members 22 and 24 are identical in construction and are preferably constructed of substantially wire-like members which are prefcrab y Iormed into a loop and have the inner ends or free ends 26 and 26 arranged in spaced p rallel relation so that they extend into ends of the bores l2 and M. The bores I2 and H are spaced apart sufficient distance to allow a fastening screw 3i! .to pass between the ends 26 and 28 and to rigidly connect the ends 28 and 28 in the bores I2 and 14.

The ends 2'6 and 28 are provided with-u -shaped X's-entrant bends to provide spider members 12 and 34 through which are angular-1y bent the legs 36 and 38. The legs 38 and 38 extend outwardly and diverge in both directions so as to provide substantial members in the surface .of a truncated cone. The outer ends of the legs terminate in concave seat members an and '42 so that the seats 40 and 42 are substantially at quadrature with respect to the rim of the lamp l6! It will thus be seen that the two members 22 and 24 supply a support substantially at the four diametrical points of the rim of the lamp [6 so that it is securely mounted on the legs orclampins members 22 and 24.

The seat members 4i) and liextenrinutwardly and are then reversely bent to provide laterally extending feet '44 and 45. The feet 44 and 45 re secur d in spaced relation by means of the igbtmember G8 which constitute thamid-portion of the l op of wire forming the clamp ales lllliS IZ and-24; Each of the, leg members- 1s providedzadjaoentthe seats. to and .42,-\v ith;-a

ranged over the clamping members; 22 and-M sotha when thes ats it and ii-care engages ner ;with the rim or "the lamp in the clamping; nns 5,2- ylill be pressed over. the-shoulder' 50.1w.

firmly, hold the clamping members 22 and 2 an C) clamping engagement with the rim of the lamp IS.

A hook member 54 may be journaled on the clamping ring 52 so that the trouble light may be conveniently hung up when desired.

The conductors l8 and are connected to a suitable source of supply by a slip connector having a substantially cylindrical grasping member having an annular groove-like depression 62 so that the member may be readily grasped by the thumb and finger of an operator. The grasping member E8 is provided with an axial bore 64 through which the conductors l3 and 23 are introduced into the member. The inner end of the member 50 is provided with a counterbore 66 to provide an enlarged chamber in the grasping member 60. A reduced hub-like coupling member 653 extends from the end of the grasping member 65 and surrounds the counterbore 66 to provide a continuation thereof. The

terminal member includes a ring-like portion 5:!

surrounding the coupling 68 and has a radialiy extending portion :2 terminating in an annular bent portion extending longitudinally along the outer surface of the grasping portion 58. The portion '14 extending aiong the outer portion of the grasping member 6% being adapted to make contact with the ground terminal of a suitable receptacle such as the cigarette lighter receptacle usually found in an automotive vehicle. A divergent passage 78 is provided. in the insulating member 58 and connects the counter-bore with the surface of the member 59 outside of the coupling hub so that the ground conductor 25 may be connected to the ring A tapering nose 80 also constructed of insulating material is provided with an axial bore 82 and a counter-bore 84 providing an enlarged chamber in the central portion of the nose 80. The inner portion of the nose 82 is provided with a tapering surface for readily engaging with an aperture into which the nose is to be inserted. A guide washer 86 is mounted on the end of the coupling 68 and an enlarged portion of the counter-bore 84 is provided with threads 88 for engaging the threads 90 on the hub 68 so that the nose 89 is in threaded engagement with the hub 68 to retain the nose thereon. The nose thus clamps the guide washer 86 and the terminal 19 between the nose and the grasping member 60 so that they are retained firmly in place therein. A contact pin 92 is mounted in the bore 82 and an aperture in the guide washer 8G. The inner end 94 of the pin 92 being enlarged so that it does not readily pass through the washer 86 and engaged to the conductor IS. A retainer washer 96 is secured on the pin 92 intermediate the ends thereof by any suitable means such as an upset portion 98. Spring member I90 is mounted between the washers 86 and 95 and tends to urge the pin 92 outwardly of the nose 8! so that pin 92 will make contact with a suitable terminal I02 in the receptacle 16.

In the utilization of the trouble lamp according to the invention either a new or partially burned out head lamp I6 is clamped in the members 22 and 24 and secured by means of a clamping ring 52. The connector is then plugged into any suitable receptacle in the vehicle preferably the cigarette lighter receptacle so that energy is supplied to the headlamp I6. Feet 42 and 44 serve to support the lamp either in face down relation as shown in Figure 5 or in side position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Obviously, if desired the trouble lamp may be hung on any suitable device by means of the hook 54 so that the lamp may be either set down or hung up and left unattended. It will thus be apparent that the present invention provides a convenient and cheap trouble lamp device for utilizing a discarded headlamp for producing a brilliant trouble light.

For purpose of exemplification a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A lamp holder comprising an elongated handle member, a pair of longitudinally extending bores through said handle member, a pair of clamping members, each of said clamping members including a length of wire constituting a pair of leg portions joined by a bight portion, the ends of said legs being arranged in parallel relation for securing in said bores, said legs extending in transverse divergent relation to said handle, concave seat members adjacent the outer ends of said legs, the bight portion of said wire forming outwardly directed foot members, shoulders on said legs adjacent said seat members, a clamping ring engageable with said shoulders. fasteners securing the ends of said legs in said bores.

2. A holder for supporting a sealed beam type lamp comprising a longitudinal handle member having a pair of longitudinal bores therethrough, clamping members mounted in each end of said bores, each of said clamping members including a length of wire, the end of said wire being arranged in parallel relation and received in the ends of the bores, U-shaped bends in said wire adjacent the end of said handle, said bends carrying outwardly flaring legs, lamp engaging seats adjacent the outer ends of said legs, laterally directed feet members at the extremities of said legs, the bight of said wire constituting a spacing member for said feet, shoulders on said legs adjacent said seats, a clamping ring engageable with said shoulders for retaining said seat members in clamping engagement with a lamp.

3. A holder for supporting a sealed beam type lamp comprising a longitudinal handle member having a pair of longitudinal bores therethrough, clamping members mounted in each end of said bores, each of said clamping members including a length of wire constituting legs joined by a bight portion, the ends of said wire being arranged in parallel relation and received in the ends of the bores, U-shaped bends in said wire adjacent the end of said handle, lamp engaging seats in said length of wire in spaced relation to said U-shaped bends, the bight of said wire constituting a spacing member for said seats, shoulders on said legs adjacent said seats, a clamping ring engageable with said shoulders for retaining said seat members in clamping engagement with a lamp.

4. A holder for supporting a sealed beam type lamp comprising a longitudinal handle member having a pair of longitudinal bores therethrough, clamping members mounted in each end of said bores, each of said clamping members including a length of wire constituting converging leg portions joined by a bight portion, the free ends of said leg portions being arranged in parallel angular relation to said leg portions and received in the ends of the bores, lamp engaging seats ad- RALPH E. ZEDIKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lockshin Mar. 25, 1941 Hobbs Sept. 28, 1948 Popp Aug. 2, 1949 Kailer Nov. 22, 1949 Sale Oct. 16, 1951 Brus Apr. 1, 1952 

